Design and Urban Inquiry Studio
→ Smile you’re on camera
eighty four instance of security cameras in DTAA
Initial Inquiry
Surveillance system’s effectiveness determines their societal impact. If security cameras reduce crime, does it matter that we’re constantly recorded? Cameras primarily deter through observation—whether real or perceived.
My goal is to compare public perception of camera coverage with actual surveillance footprints. Walking through downtown Ann Arbor, how often are you recorded? How many cameras do you notice?
A camera’s design influences our perception of its reach. The shape and lens placement suggest its field of view, reinforcing the belief that we’re being watched. Surveillance aesthetics play a role—certain motifs induce a sense of observation. CCTV systems use design elements to obscure their true coverage, limiting public awareness of surveillance scope.
This raises ethical concerns: while cameras sit on private property, they record public spaces. Who regulates these devices? What laws govern their installation? Additionally, data security is a growing concern. As surveillance expands, ensuring ethical data handling is crucial. If public recording persists, protecting our data should be a priority.
Audit and Classify
When it comes down to security cameras, they’re most discernible by shape. There are two pieces to a camera, the outer shell and an inner cam. The specifications of the interior camera are hindered by the size of the shell, the bigger the shell the better the cam. I’ve determined six camera types differing in their surveillance ability.
Juxtapose
By combining field research with camera specifications, I mapped the approximate field of view of street-facing security cameras in downtown Ann Arbor. This revealed surveillance hotspots where multiple cameras overlap and buildings with higher security activity. The data provided insights into how surveillance is strategically implemented in the area.
instances of security cameras within DTAA, with their perceived POV and approximate ranges.
Domed security cameras are the most common choice for property surveillance. They’re affordable, versatile, and weather-resistant, making them a standard across many security brands.
The area around Ann Arbor’s post office and Blake Transit Center has the highest surveillance. PTZ and panoramic cameras dominate, chosen for their wide coverage and adaptability. Their placement in high-foot-traffic zones suggests a strategy to maximize street data collection.
Pedestrians are largely unaware of how their data is collected. While recording conversations requires consent, cameras on private property still capture public streets. Once recorded, tracking where this video or audio data goes is nearly impossible.
Hypothesis
The acquisition and following installation of security cameras is not troublesome, both in application and cost. Therefore the amount of surveillance will grow if property owners see fit.
Through the growth of our surveillance systems a new problem arrises not in the acquisition of street data, but of where it is stored afterwards. There’s a serious cyber security issue with the unorganized entities collecting data.
Information about security devices is not made inherently public knowledge, in order to protect the usefulness of said devices. The reeducation of public data collection, would enforce regulations on video data gathering.